Our Future : Our World

Tourism The chapters in this book are: 1. Conflicts over tourism:  issues and options 2. Travellers over time 3. The impact of tourism 4. Tourism and the future 5. Investigating an issue

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Tourism is one of the world's most popular recreational activities, and the tourism industry is one of its biggest economic activities. Tourist activity may have both a beneficial and a detrimental influence on the society and biophysical environment in which it occurs, and its effects are noted on the environment,culture, lifestyle and economy. Almost every place on earth is affected by tourism. Even the most remote and isolated continent, Antarctica, is attracting growing numbers of international tourists.

It is the intention of the Our Future : Our World series to help students to use the process of investigation and the values of social justice, ecological sustainability, and democratic process recommended by the 'Statement on Studies of Society and Environment for Australian Schools (1994)'.

A study of tourism involves much more than simply examining the tourism industry and may consider activities not organized by the industry. Tourism addresses some of the issues that may arise because people may have varying opinions about some aspects of a tourism activity. The book is more than a limited textbook about the tourism industry, although it frequently pays attention to specific issues related to the industry. It consistently requires students to seek evidence and opinions from all parties within the industry, the customers and other people who may have a legitimate stake in the issue.

• what the issue is that requires investigation and resolution.
• what is at the particular place we are investigating.
• where the aspects of the issue are precisely located and when they occur.
• who is involved in the issue how the issue might be resolved and whose interests may be served by any solution.
• how we would respond in that situation and how we would be able to justify our stance.

Issues arise when the people involved have different or conflicting views. Tourism has the potential to raise these issues, because large numbers of people are concentrated in the world's unique places,and it may prompt disagreement about the best types of activities for a place. These issues require careful investigation, so that, as we make decisions about our future and our world, we can find the answers to many questions, which will enable us to make sound judgements and act wisely. In order to do this, we have to know what the issue is that requires investigation and resolution what is at the particular place we are investigating where the aspects of the issue are located precisely and when they occur who is involved in the issue how the issue might be resolved and whose interests may be served by any solution how we would respond in the situation and how we would be able to justify our stance.

Tourism is the second in a series of four books entitled Our Future : Our World. The series introduces a variety of issues that we should investigate and understand if we are to make good decisions about our world and thereby ensure that our future is one that best serves us, the rest of humankind and the environments in which we live. Most importantly, the series helps us to know how to find out about any issue of concern and how to do something about it in effective and democratic ways. As students, you are encouraged to study issues of local and global concern in a way that allows you to not only understand how a situation has arisen and aspects of its function, but how it was, or could be, resolved so that all interests are properly considered.

Tourist places, and tourism and its impacts, are fascinating to study. We are all potential tourists, and during our lifetimes we will probably travel extensively within our local area, our state, Australia and or many of the world's regions. As students travel, they will be involved in their own tourism-related issues.This book teaches them how to inquire into such issues and to thereby discover more about tourism and its effects and how people behave as tourists. Studying the issues and perhaps being involved in them will enable students to appreciate whose interests are served by the decisions that are made about tourism. By undertaking the investigations suggested in this book, they will gain experience in finding fair resolutions to complex and difficult issues that involve tourism.

If we are to secure our future, we have to ensure that the issues of our world are justly and fairly resolved. This book is about issues related to tourism.Some of our most important and interesting occupations and pastimes, some of the world's most unique and valuable environments, and some of the world's oldest and most interesting cultures and heritage, are involved when we discuss tourism issues, and they deserve urgent consideration.

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